After a week of prolonged criticism from supporters and the media following their dire performance in Round 1 the Demons promised to be better against Essendon but wound up suffering not only their biggest ever loss to the Bombers but their worst ever result in history on the MCG.

In the first few minutes the Demons were competitive, but as Essendon dominated the midfield and Melbourne's shaky defence collapsed under the constant pressure and by quarter time the margin was four goals despite Jack Grimes kicking the final major of the quarter.

Essendon kicked away in the second quarter, booting their first goal in the opening seconds and adding another six while Melbourne struggle to two as they were butchered in the centre clearances and around the ground.

By three quarter time the Dees were broken and the margin had stretched out to over a hundred points. With their biggest ever win against Melbourne in sight the Bombers took advantage of Melbourne's disinterest and pushed past the milestone score. The tackle stats were an indication of just how bad Melbourne were, Essendon clearly winning the count despite dominating possession.